West Bengal Government Bans The Kerala Story: An Informative News Update

West Bengal Chief Minister Bans Film Over Law and Order Concerns

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has ordered a ban on the film The Kerala Story in the state due to concerns over law and order. The film has been accused by non-BJP parties of spreading falsehoods regarding the conversion of women to Islam in Kerala and their migration abroad to join the ISIS. The film has also faced issues in Tamil Nadu, where the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners’ Association withdrew it from multiplexes. Despite the ban, some larger national chains such as PVR initially screened the film. A fear of protests, both inside and outside the theatres, contributed to their decision.

BJP Criticizes the Ban

The BJP criticized Banerjee’s decision to ban the film, with BJP West Bengal president Sukanta Majumder calling it an attack on freedom of expression. He tweeted that the film is based on “true stories” that depict “how Islamists trap Hindu girls into Love Jihad and later send them to become ISIS terrorists.” Dilip Ghosh, the national vice-president of the BJP, questioned Mamata Banerjee’s stance on banning films, asking what she would do if another film like “The Bengal Files” is released and whether she would resign if she bans it as well.

Tamil Nadu Accused of Systematically Blocking Screenings

State BJP vice-president Narayanan Tirupathi accused the M K Stalin government of “systematically blocking” the screenings of the film by “abuse of power”. He said the DMK government should have offered protection to those who wanted to screen the film, instead of “allowing fundamentalist groups to issue threats and force the multiplexes to remove it.”

Film Synopsis

Directed by Sudipto Sen, The Kerala Story revolves around a group of Kerala women newly converted to Islam joining the ISIS in Afghanistan. After facing questions over a claim made in its trailer that 32,000 women from Kerala had been recruited by the terror outfit, the producers first brought this down to three and later agreed to drop the trailer.

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